Rifle barrel alignment mechanism



Nov. 21, 1967 c. w. MUSSER RIFLE BARREL ALIGNMENT MECHANISM 5 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed May 4, 1966 NVENTOR C. WALTO MUSSER ATTORNEYS Nov. 21, 1967 c. w. MUSSER 3,353,291

RIFLE BARREL ALIGNMENT MECHANISM 45 i' lg. 2

Nov. 21, 1967 c. w. MUSSER RIFLE BARREL ALIGNMENT MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 4, 1966 INVENTOR c. WALTN mussgn W n 51 774. 1 K 833W kfl, 5 I 414. ATT RNEYS United States Patent Office 3,353,231 Patented Nov. 21, 1967 3,353,291 RIFLE BARREL ALlGNMENT MECHANISM C. Walton Mnsser, Pains Verdes Estates, Calii'., assignor, by niesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed May 4, 1966, Ser. No. 547,676 10 Claims. ((11. 42-1) ABSTRACT OF THE DTSCLOSURE A rifle barrel alignment mechanism in which two eccentric rings are rotatably mounted in counter-bores of a stationary bracket having a central web that separates the counter-bores. The web has diametrically opposed pairs of slots that seat corresponding pairs of elevation and azimuth keys which have inner flat surfaces engaged by respective outer surface portions of a barrel sleeve. By rtating the rings, a desired barrel adjustment of a spotting rifle can be obtained.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to alignment mechanisms and, more particularly, to means for accurately adjusting a cylindrical object such as a rifle barrel or telescopic sight micro-incrementally along two coordinate axes.

It is primarily intended for the bore alignment of a minor calibxe or spotting rifle relative to the bore of the major calibre rifle on which it is mounted.

Among the objects of the invention are the provision of a rifle barrel having self adjusting means in a minimal sized package, the adjusting means having a minimum number of parts, being adjustable without the aid of tools, and being operable under all extremes of ambient conditions such as dust, rain, mud, etc.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple alignment mechanism having a positive lock which assures retention of a setting to any one of a series of readable small incremental positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjusting device that can rapidly be set to a desired position with assurance that the set position is repeatable.

Basically the device consists of two eccentrics mounted in a bracket in such manner that controlled rotation of one will move the spotting rifle barrel up and down and rotation of the other will move the spotting rifle barrel from side to side. Both of these eccentrics are held in place by a locking device which also acts as an indicator of position.

The novelty of this invention lies within the adjusting mechanism and not within the mounting means for the spotting rifle. Hence, the means of fastening the receiver or rear portion of the barrel is not illustrated. As a consequence movement of the barrel by the adjustment device described herein in a vertical direction will adjust for elevation and movement back and forth sideways will adjust the rifle in azimuth.

These and other objects, features and advantages will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an end view of the device taken from the muzzle end of the rifles with certain parts shown in section.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross sectional view taken along the axes of the rifles or lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 2.

The arrangement of the parts of the adjustment device is best illustrated in FIG. 2 where the bracket 20 is secured to or integral with sleeve 21 which is rotationally keyed to barrel 2?. at the opposite or rearward end (not shown) of rifle sleeve 21. The lower portion of the bracket 20 has circumferentially spaced internal cylindrical surfaces 20A (FIG. 1) for circumferentially spaced tight fit contact with the barrel external cylindrical surface. The inner surface of the barrel is provided with conventional rifiing grooves 22A. The top portion of the bracket 20 is provided with axially spaced counter-bores 23 and 24. (FIG. 2) separated by a central web 25 (FIGS. 2, 4). The web 25 has two diametrically opposed slots 26 and 27 in its cylindrical inner surface for receiving elevation keys 36, 37, and two slots 28 and 29 for receiving the azimuth keys 40, 41.

The eccentric elevation ring 30 seats in counter bore 23 and eccentric azimuth ring 31 seats in counter-bore 24. Each of these rings has a flange section 32 and 33 and an eccentric bore 34 and 35, respectively. The elevation e centric bore surface 34 is in contact with keys 36 and 37 (FIG. 3) which are in turn in contact with appropriate flat 43 on the barrel sleeve 38 which surrounds rifle barrel 39 with a slip fit. Hence, it can be seen that rotation of eccentric ring 30 will move the keys 36 and 37 (FIG. 3) up and down in the slots 26 and 27 and cause up and down motion of the barrel sleeve 38 and the rifle barrel 39. Likewise rotation of the eccentric ring 31 and its eccentric inner surface 35 (FIG. 5) will cause the keys 40 and 41 to be moved in the slots 28 and 29 with consequent back and forth (or azimuthal) motion of the barrel sleeve 38 and the rifle barrel 39.

The barrel sleeve 38 is made with a central ring 42 to prevent the keys 36, 37, 40 and 41 from moving axially out of position. It also has flats 43 which provide an area surface for the keys to contact.

Tangs 44 on the forward and rearward surfaces of sleeve 38 interengage with the recesses 45 in the cover plates 46. Through slots 47 (FIG. 1) intermediate partially through recesses 45 allow assembly and holding in place of the cover plate 46. The parts are snugly held together by the spring covers 48 (FIG. 2), located between the respective cover plates 46, and rings 30, 31, which also allow azimuthal and elevational motion while excluding dirt.

Eccentric rings 30 and 31 are rotationally held in position by the oppositely tapered locks 49, normally biased apart by spring 49A (FIG. 2), fitting Within slot 50 (FIG. 1) in the bracket 26. Locks 49 have an indexing pointer 51 which interengages with index depressions 52 on the eccentric rings 30 and 31. These index depressions 52 are provided with suitable indicia 53 to indicate the number of mils (or other angular graduations) through which the spotting rifle is moved. This allows resetting the angular adjustment to the desired position.

In adjusting the azimuth or elevation of the spotting rifle in relation to the major calibre or lower barrel 22, the appropriate lock 49 is manually depressed inwardly and the appropriate eccentric ring (30 for elevation-31 for azimuth) is rotated to the desired position. Releasing the lock 49 will hold the eccentric ring in the set position.

Various modifications, changes or alterations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An alignment mechanism for accurately adjusting a cylindrical object such as the barrel of a rifle or the like comprising,

a pair of eccentric rings rotatably mounted in a stationary member, said member having means for longitudinally spacing said rings,

a pair of diagonally opposed keys each having an armate outer surface engaging an inner surface of one of said rings along a horizontal axis,

a similar pair of keys engaging the other ring in a similar manner along a vertical axis,

each of said keys having inner fiat surfaces, and

a sleeve for securement to said cylindrical object and having flat outer surface portions engaging the respective key flat surfaces,

so constructed and arranged that independent rotation of said rings will move said sleeve along the respective axis through which the corresponding pairs of keys extend.

2. The mechanism defined in claim 1 wherein a pair of depressible locking elements are positioned in said member adjacent the periphery of respective ones of said rings, and means positioned intermediate said elements for longitudinally biasing them apart.

3. The mechanism of claim 2 wherein an index pointer is provided on an outer surface of each element and each of said rings has a plurality of peripheral notches engageable by a corresponding pointer.

4. The mechanism of claim 3 in which each of said rings is provided with indicia means adjacent its corresponding notched periphery.

5. The mechanism of claim 4 wherein each of said indicia means includes a plurality of indicia unevenly spaced along the respective periphery.

6. In a rifle having a barrel and an alignment mechanism for accurately adjusting the bore of said barrel, said mechanism comprising,

a pair of eccentric rings rotatably mounted in a stationary member, said member having an inwardly extending radial flange for longitudinally spacing said rings, said flange having a plurality of inwardly opening slots,

a pair of diagonally opposed keys each having an armate outer surface engaging an inner surface of one of said rings along a horizontal axis,

a similar pair of keys engaging the other ring in a similar manner along a vertical axis,

each of said keys having portions engaging said flange slots,

each of Said keys having inner fiat surfaces, and

a sleeve secured to said barrel and having fiat outer surface portions engaging the respective key flat surfaces,

so constructed and arranged that independent rotation of said rings will move said sleeve along the respective axis through which the corresponding pairs of keys extend.

7. The arrangement defined in claim 6 wherein a pair of depressible locking elements are positioned in said member adjacent the periphery of respective ones of said rings, and means positioned intermediate said elements for longitudinally biasing them apart.

8. The mechanism of claim 7 wherein an index pointer is provided on an outer surface of each element and each of said rings has a plurality of peripheral notches engageable by a corresponding pointer.

9. The mechanism of claim 8 in which each of said rings is provided with indicia means adjacent its corresponding notched periphery.

10. The mechanism of claim 9 wherein each of said indicia means includes a plurality of indicia unevenly spaced along the respective periphery.

No references cited.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ALIGNMENT MECHANISM FOR ACCURATELY ADJUSTING A CYLINDRICAL OBJECT SUCH AS THE BARREL OF A RIFLE OR THE LIKE COMPOSING, A PAIR OF ECCENTRIC RINGS ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN A STATIONARY MEMBER, SAID MEMBER HAVING MEANS FOR LONGITUDINALLY SPACING SAID RINGS, A PAIR OF DIAGONALLY OPPOSED KEYS EACH HAVING AN ARCUATE OUTER SURFACE ENGAGING AN INNER SURFACE OF ONE OF SAID RINGS ALONG A HORIZONTAL AXIS, A SIMILAR PAIR OF KEYS ENGAGING THE OTHER RING IN A SIMILAR MANNER ALONG A VERTICAL AXIS, EACH OF SAID KEYS HAVING INNER FLAT SURFACES, AND A SLEEVE FOR SECUREMENT TO SAID CYLINDER OBJECT AND HAVING FLAT OUTER SURFACE PORTIONS ENGAGING THE RESPECTIVE KEY FLAT SURFACES, SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED THAT INDEPENDENT ROTATION OF SAID RINGS WILL MOVE SAID SLEEVE ALONG THE RESPECTIVE AXIS THROUGH WHICH THE CORRESPONDING PAIRS OF KEYS EXTEND. 